Zion Williamson and the Pelicans finally came close to establishing themselves as a playoff contender this past postseason. However, the squad was missing its star forward. Well, it isn’t the first time that Williamson missed a postseason appearance. To be precise, this past playoff contention was supposed to be his first playoff appearance after missing out in 2022. But the former first-overall pick suffered an unfortunate hamstring injury during the Play-In tournament. Now there is no doubt that the outcome for the team would have been different, had Williamson stepped in. But on the right side, it restored the faith in his talents.

Williamson missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season, but then again, what followed was even worse. The following year, Williamson would go on to play just 29 games and even miss the last 45 games of the season. At this point, rumors around Williamson’s trade started to take rounds on social media. Yes, there were some serious tensions between him and the franchise, but Pelicans VP, David Griffin wasn’t going to give up on him so easily. “I think there’s a lot he can do better. I think he would tell you that. He certainly owned up to that. And I think we need to do a better job of maybe examining the whole situation top to bottom a little bit better,” Griffin said, via The Athletic.

Nevertheless, come the 2023-24 season, he proved himself to a great extent. He played his career-high, 70 games while averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5 assists. He even shot 57% from the field. Filling the stat sheet every night, the Pelicans were on the right track to finally make a statement in the West. However, with the 24-year-old going down, the squad wasn’t up for the first-seeded OKC’s wave. Griffin, on the other hand, seemed happy with Williamson’s progress after multiple bumps in the past few seasons. “He told me he was really proud of me. He told me he trusts me, he fully trusts me. There weren’t any more small doubts,” said Williamson on Griffin’s confidence in the former Blue Devil.

But what are the Pelicans expecting out of the upcoming season? The simple answer to that would be a ‘healthy season’. Yes, that’s all the Pelicans need in order to shine in the postseason. If anything, with the addition of yet another reliable scorer, the Pelicans have a pretty well-balanced roster. Apart from Dejounte Murray, Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram, guys like Murphy and Herb Jones will be crucial assets to look out for this upcoming season.

Zion Williamson and the Pelicans have a big season to look forward to

This season is going to be crucial for Williamson as well as the Pelicans. Williamson and the team are aware of the rough patch he’s been through. Not only will he be looking to make things up for himself but also for New Orleans. A year before his draft, the Pelicans made it past the first round after a decade. Next summer will be worth watching for the Pelicans fans, considering the team’s four stars could establish a considerable threat once they clinch the playoffs.

Not to mention, there have been rumors surrounding Ingram’s trade, as the 27-year-old is in the last year of his contract. Also, given that there hasn’t been any progress with his extension with the Pelicans, Ingram will probably move next summer. This gives Williamson and the company a season to work with while still having enough scoring assets, including their newest member, Dejounte Murray. It will be interesting to see Williamson and others make a strong start this fall.

The Pelicans await Media Day and Preseason, as the two events will soon kick off in the coming days. What are your thoughts on Zion Williamson’s progression? Do you think a healthy season is the key to New Orleans’ playoff dreams? Let us know in the comments.